This is the first in a series of interviews with a leader from the COTE community who has successfully lobbied for important policy change. We celebrate this success so that we can learn from the ways these individuals, in concert with a larger collective, enacted change.
Our first interview is with Z Smith, FAIA, about the “Louisiana Leap” and this citizen architect’s role in advancing Louisiana’s statewide energy code. Z is a Principal and Director of Sustainability and Building Performance at Eskew Dumez Ripple in New Orleans.
By sharing the stories of those doing substantive work, we hope to de-mystify the process. Throughout the series, you will hear stories from across the country that speak to varying advocacy issues and their local nuances.
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This series was created by the COTE Advocacy Committee. A nationwide cohort of volunteers who actively support legislative engagement by exchanging ideas, linking committee work, and amplifying calls to action. If you have an advocacy story you would like to share, please reach out to us at cote@aia.org.
2025 COTE Advocacy Committee
Kjell Anderson
Michelle Amt
Clark Brockman
Lori Ferriss
Carlos Augusto Garcia
Arathi Gowda
Chris Hellstern
Julie Hiromoto
Dan Jaconetti
Joyce Raybuck – COTE Advocacy Leader
Nikolaus Remus
Lisa Richmond
Sammy Shams
AIA Staff Support
Lisa Ferretto
Stephanie Lamore
Image Credit: Eskew Dumez Ripple. (2025, August 29). https://www.eskewdumezripple.com/z-smith.html